Decoding the best-performing franchise in the nation — and making it replicable.

Dunkin' had a puzzle: one regional franchise in Asheville, NC, had the lowest staff turnover in the entire national system. Why?

Frontline retention is the single biggest operational lever in fast food — it directly impacts customer experience, training costs, and revenue. But nobody had figured out what this franchise was doing differently.

We embedded with the Asheville franchise team — leadership and frontline — to decode their people management approach. Our final report delivered replicable KPIs and management techniques Dunkin' can deploy nationally.

What we found: 76% of managers scored as high-EQ — sensitive and emotionally expressive — based on 16 in-person interviews, 6 remote interviews, and 21 personality assessments across the Asheville team.